Burkina Faso’s junta leader Ibrahim Traoré has once again rallied his nation with defiant words and pan-African conviction. After a massive show of support in Ouagadougou on April 30, 2025, Traoré responded with a fiery vow to resist imperialism and stand unbroken.
The demonstration, held at the symbolic Place de la Révolution, drew thousands in a bold display of loyalty to the military government. Supporters waved national and Russian flags, chanted “Long live Captain Traoré!” and raised signs condemning Western critics—one placard featured a photo of U.S. General Michael Langley defaced with the word “slave.”
The rally came days after Burkina Faso’s military claimed it had thwarted a “major plot” to depose Traoré, allegedly orchestrated from neighboring Ivory Coast. It also followed a sharp rebuke from Langley, who told a U.S. Senate committee that Traoré was exploiting the nation’s gold resources to entrench the junta, sidelining the needs of the people.
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Unfazed, Traoré took to X to thank his supporters and reaffirm his stance.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all the peace-loving, freedom-loving patriots and pan-Africanists who rallied around the world on Wednesday April 30, 2025 to support our commitment and our vision for a new Burkina Faso and a new Africa, free from imperialism and neo-colonialism,” he wrote.
He declared that the global solidarity only deepened his resolve. “Your active solidarity and this demonstration of sympathy strengthens our conviction that the fight we are waging for a fairer and more equitable world is justified.”
Traoré concluded with a promise that has become something of a mantra for his government: “We will never bend our backs in the face of adversity; we will stand firm until our peoples are truly emancipated. With you, we are certain that victory over the forces of evil is at hand. Together, in solidarity, we will defeat imperialism and neo-colonialism for a free, dignified and sovereign Africa.”
I would like to express my gratitude to all the peace-loving, freedom-loving patriots and pan-Africanists who rallied around the world on Wednesday April 30, 2025 to support our commitment and our vision for a new Burkina Faso and a new Africa, free from imperialism and… pic.twitter.com/1czka1qzuY
— Capitaine Ibrahim TRAORÉ (@CapitaineIb226) April 30, 2025
Until recently, the U.S. maintained a military presence in nearby Niger as part of its Sahel counterterrorism mission. That ended when Niger’s new military rulers terminated the agreement. Burkina Faso, along with fellow coup-led neighbors Mali and Niger, has faced more than a decade of jihadist insurgency, compounded by political instability and international sanctions.
The three countries have since pivoted toward Russia and forged a regional defense pact, the Alliance of Sahel States, marking a sharp geopolitical shift in a region long influenced by Western powers.
Traoré, who came to power in a 2022 coup, has positioned himself as a generational leader, pledging security, prosperity, and sovereignty for Burkina Faso. His unapologetic stance has earned him fervent support among young pan-Africanists both at home and abroad.
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